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Published 13:13 IST, July 14th 2020

X-Men franchise turns 20: Did you know Jackman was not the first choice for Wolverine?

X-Men franchise celebrated 20-year-anniversary since its original release back in 2000. Read to know about the film's original casting for Jackman's Wolverine.

Reported by: Amir Khollam
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The X-Men franchise turned 20 on July 14. The first to have launched under the franchise which spanned over a decade released back in 2000. The X-Men cinematic franchise is often regarded to be a stepping stone for modern superhero films which were pushed furthermore by Sam Raimi's Spider-Man franchise and later creating a path for Nolan's Batman trilogy to shine. 

Also read: Nicholas Hoult opens up about his audition for 'X-Men' role as a Family Guy character

The X-Men franchise now has an undecided fate since the cinematic rights have shifted back to Marvel Studios under Disney's leadership. Though it is expected that a new Wolverine will make a debut in the MCU in the near future, it is evident that Hugh Jackman's portrayal of the character has set the bar pretty high. Be it the aggressive portrayal of Wolverine, or showcasing the sombre sufferings of Logan, Hugh Jackman grew synonymous with the role in the X-Men franchise. But, Jackman was not the first choice to play Wolverine. 

Also read: Michael Bay and Ryan Reynolds to collaborate for 'Deadpool Kills the X-Men Universe'?

Hugh Jackman was not the first choice for Wolverine

Jackman was actually a last-minute replacement for a Scottish actor Dougray Scott, who had to drop out of the film due to his commitment to another project. Scott was scheduled to start shooting for X-Men right after he was done wrapping Mission Impossible 2 but could not do so as the shoots went on longer than expected. Director Bryan Singer had revealed in an interview with a news portal that Fox was holding on to the hope of having Scott on-board for the film till the very last moment. Later, Jackman's deal was finalized at the last moment and he started rehearsing for his role as soon as he was signed, to start filming over the following weekend. 

Also read: 'X-Men: Dark Phoenix' director likes the idea of Magneto with Thor, hints mutants in MCU

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Image courtesy - Still from Logan (2017)

On the other hand, in one of his recent interviews, Scott put the blame of him missing the opportunity to play Wolverine on Tom Cruise. The actor stated that he was filming for Mission: Impossible 2 with Tom Cruise and he did not allow him to work on any other project before the film was completed. Scott regarded Tom Cruise to be a powerful and influential guy who could decide whether he worked on another project or no. 

Also read: Ryan Reynolds hilariously crashes 'X-Men' reunion, says 'that fell apart quicky'; Watch

Updated 13:13 IST, July 14th 2020

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